Spider Games: In the City of Spies

Nick is travelling with his grandfather to Germany to scatter his grandmother’s ashes. Grandpa can’t be trusted to travel by himself as he’s a little too old and frail, so teenage Nick gets to go on his first big adventure. At least, that’s what Nick had thought.

As soon as they arrive in Berlin, Grandpa starts to act strangely. Nick, who is very good at noticing and recalling details, spots changes in Grandpa’s behaviour - and that there seem to be people watching them. When Grandpa goes missing, Nick is thrown into a situation where his memory and attention to detail become very important skills, as he has to quickly decide who, if anyone, he can trust.

In 'Spider Games', Falkner has written a gripping thriller, crafting a teenager with believable skills and flaws as his main character. The characters surrounding him often seem larger than life, yet as we spend time with them we can see the cracks in their facades. The descriptions of the various settings are beautiful and add to the excitement, depth and character of the story.

As a teaching and learning tool, anyone who is interested in spy or thriller books or movies would find the chapter headings a great leaping off point for a deep dive. On the last page of the book, Faulkner also directs readers to his website containing notes on historical details mentioned in the story. The historical context was well-explained in the book, but I know there will be some people who will always appreciate going a little further.